When a well-liked purveyor of Cuban cigars introduces a “house” brand, our ears perk up. That’s because (a) we love Cuban cigars, (b) we also love non-Cuban cigars and (c) we love it when those two worlds collide. So when we heard that Geneva, Switzerland-based iHavanas was introducing the Aguila line, naturally we were intrigued.

Aguila is comprised of Nicaraguan tobacco with an Ecuadorian wrapper and is rolled somewhere in Nicaragua. That’s all we know, and that’s all iHavanas is saying. The cigars are sold in handy dandy cardboard cartons of ten. Though simple, the white bands and matte black and gold packaging remind us of Davidoff’s to-go packs in reverse. There are three sizes: a 4.88x50 Robusto, 6.13x52 Torpedo and the subject of this review, a 6.5x54 Sublime. That’s something to please nearly everyone, though we’d eventually love to see iHavanas add a corona or lonsdale.

Our cigars arrived a little dry, owing to the long journey from Switzerland to our snowy little coroner of America’s Rust Belt. But they also spent three extra days in transit due to iHavana’s policy of requiring a signature for delivery—certainly understandable on their part, but frustrating for eager customers like us who aren’t home during the day to accept deliveries. A little humidor time quickly got them up to 63-65%, which is where we think they smoke best.

Our first impressions were of a cigar conceived for those with worldly palates, definitely leaning toward European tastes but with a New World twist. The medium-dark wrapper was surprisingly silky and could almost be mistaken for Cuban leaf were it not for some larger veins here and there. It doesn’t photograph nearly as well as it looks in person. The big Sublimes feel very well-made and substantial in the hand, with the only detraction being a haphazardly applied two-seam cap. We’ve seen worse on far more expensive cigars and let’s face it, you cut it off anyway.

We don’t normally spend a ton of time analyzing the pre-light aromas of a cigar because most of us actually light and smoke the damn things instead of shoving the foot up our schnozzes. But in this case, there was a nice hay and manure and wood quality that indicated quality, well-aged tobacco and reminded us more of robust Cuban tobacco than Nicaraguan. Whoever oversaw the blending and creation obviously paid attention to the complete experience.

Like a lot of Nicaraguan blends, this one starts off with some zip that quickly settles down. Initial impressions were of straight but fresh tobacco and earth. Then it opens up, showing cream and chocolate and oak. The draw was excellent, coating the palate in cool, substantially textured smoke, and the burn was pretty straight as well with a firm ash. Further along, this continues as a rich, slightly dry but laid back smoke. It's luxurious in the sense that it's so pleasant and satisfying yet easy to enjoy. If you concentrate, it does from time to time produce hints of complexity like anisette cookie and fizzy Dr. Pepper on the sweet side and a bit of leather on the savory end. This is not a strong cigar, medium leaning toward full but never overpowering. If you like boutique brands like Illusione, Curivari, etc., you should check these out.

But, there is a wildcard, albeit minor. Since the details of the blend and place of manufacture are secret, iHavanas could make changes any time for better or worse. Also, since they have no history (that we know of) in dealing directly with actual manufacturers, we don’t know how closely they’ll be monitoring quality control. Is their partner a well-oiled machine like Oliva or Perdomo, or a much smaller and less established operation? Will iHavanas be checking on the tobacco that’s being purchased, and the factory where the cigars are being rolled, to ensure consistency? If not, the box you order might be different from the ones we received in late 2016. That being said, we’re not especially worried since iHavanas has always been a responsible retailer, the cigars themselves aren’t expensive and iHavanas would likely make it right if you weren’t happy.

So what we have here is a well-made, attractively presented, refined cigar that’s good looking and smokes about as well as anything on the market. It’s also a good value at just under $50 for boxes of 10 (they're not available as singles). Factoring in the direct-from-the-source price, these are excellent on our scale. In the Sublime size you get smooth, tasty, medium- to full-bodied cigars that just about anyone can enjoy at any time. And frankly, they remind us of a slightly less debonair version of one of favorite cigars, Davidoff Nicaragua, at about one-third the price. Congratulations then to iHavanas on their first stab at a private brand. Aguila is very much recommended, not only as an add-on to your regular order of Cuban smokes but also as a standalone purchase.

THE DETAILS

6.5"x54NicaraguaW: EcuadorB: NicaraguaF: Nicaragua​$49 (box of 10)

THE HIGHLIGHTS

Full of fresh tobacco character, Augila delivers sweet and savory notes from chocolate to wood and spice. Well made and presented. Recommended.